RIP: Ric Ocasek, Let the Good Times Roll

I was told by some to prepare for a wave of rock and roll deaths, but it still shocks us when our rock idols (who are now 70+ or older) are gone. Add Ric Ocasek of the Cars to the list, and although he wasn’t considered a power-pop artist at the time the band was active, it makes sense to retrofit the band into the genre. The Cars topped the charts in the late 1970s and 80s, with 13 top-40 singles and thrived in an era when the synth keyboard ruled over the guitar gods of old. The band’s sound was critical in the transition to new wave rock and thankfully Ocasek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. He was 75 years old. In honor of his passing, you should play the Benjamin Orr sung “Drive,” penned by Ocasek, and his wife model/actress Paulina Porizkova was featured in the video below. RIP Ric, we will drive you home.